Perfect World
by astronomylover
Summary: Rogue is stuck all by her lonesome as Logan leaves the mansion once more. What she needs most is a friend...and she finds it in the most unexpected place. ScottMarie. Please Read and Review! My first XMen fic, based on Perfect World by Simple Plan.


**Disclaimer: The song "Perfect World" is property of Simple Plan and their producers; the X-Men and all related characters are properties of Marvel Comics.

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Perfect World

Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was normally full of loud and rowdy kids, whether they were in class, working out in the gym or the Danger Room, or just hanging out together. Today, though, was an exception to the rule. Professor Xavier, along with Ororo Munroe and Hank McCoy, had taken the students to the Franklin Institute to see the new moon exhibit the museum had recently added. There was one student, however, who had chosen to remain behind. Rogue was lying on her bed with red puffy eyes, crying. On the bed next to her was a half-empty tissue box and a trash can full of used tissues.

_I never could have seen this far_

_I never could have seen this coming_

_It seems like my world's falling apart_

Sitting up, she grabbed a tissue from the box and blew her nose, trying to get a handle on her emotions. Throwing the used tissue in the trash can, Marie grabbed another and dabbed at her eyes.

_'Once again, I'm sitting here crying over Logan,'_ Marie thought to herself. _'I need to get over him – so why am I having so much trouble?'_

_Why is everything so hard?_

_I don't think that I can deal_

_With the things you said_

_It just won't go away_

Two hours ago was when the trouble began. Marie had been in her room, minding her own business when Logan walked by, looking somber. She had caught a glimpse of the sadness on his face before he passed out of sight, and it piqued her interest. Anger was a familiar emotion with Logan, but sadness?

_'I never should have followed him,'_ Marie thought to herself as she replayed the events of the last two hours in her head.

However, Marie _had_ followed him to his room in an effort to find out what was bothering him. Peeking in the doorway, she found Logan gazing at the TV with a beer in his hand, eyes unfocused.

Poking her head in through the door, she called, "Logan?"

Logan jumped, unleashing his claws with a SNIKT as he turned towards the door. He visibly calmed when he saw who it was. Retracting his claws, he beckoned for Marie to enter. Marie, who had jumped at the sound of Logan unleashing his claws, walked slowly into the room, willing her heart to slow down. Taking a seat on his bed, she turned to gaze at him sitting on the chair in the corner.

"What's up? Ah noticed you seemed distracted earlier."

_In a perfect world_

_This could never happen_

Logan flipped off the TV before turning to gaze at Marie.

"I'm leaving."

The words were simple, but the effect they had on Marie was profound. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows rose before she dropped her gaze to look at the bedspread. Silence reigned for about five minutes before either party moved or spoke.

"When?" she asked quietly, her voice barely audible.

The word spoke volumes to Logan. Despite it being a one-word question, it also asked _'why are you leaving?_' and _'how could you do this to me?'_ in the same breath. The message was also clear in Marie's eyes – they were filled with sadness and somehow looked more devoid of life than usual. Logan cleared his throat and took a gulp of beer, not looking in Marie's direction. He had turned the television back on, but she could tell that he wasn't really paying attention to it.

"When, Logan? Were you even planning on telling me at all?" Marie asked angrily. "Huh, Wolverine? You were just going to walk out, eh?"

"No. No, Marie. I was gonna tell you."

"When?" she demanded, locking eyes with Logan.

Looking at Marie, Logan shook his head sadly.

"I don't know," he said quietly.

"Well," Marie said, her resolve to not cry getting weaker by the second, "that's it, then."

As if to seal the deal and strengthen her resolve, Marie took of the dog tags that always hung around her neck, placed them quietly on the bed, and walked out of the room without another word. She walked quickly through the halls of the mansion, rushed into her room, shut the door halfway behind her, and collapsed on top of her bed, sobbing.

_In a perfect world_

_You'd still be here_

_And it makes no sense_

_I can just pick up the pieces_

_But to you this means nothing at all_

"Logan, you asshole!" Marie cried, shoulders shaking with the force of her raking sobs.

_Nothing at all_

Meanwhile, the only person who hadn't gone on the field trip to the Franklin Institute other than Logan and Marie had been down in the Danger Room working out. Scott Summers grabbed a towel and the shirt he had shed sometime during the workout and headed upstairs. Two flights of stairs later, he had arrived on the floor of the mansions that housed the bedrooms. On the way to the ensuite that he used to share with Jean, he passed the room that Marie shared with Jubilee and Kitty. Coming from the inside of the room was the sound of someone sobbing. Perplexed, Scott stopped and knocked on the door.

"Is everybody okay in there?"

Marie lifted her head up, interested, at the voice that was floating through the semi-closed door.

"Door's open," she said quietly, reaching for another tissue.

_I used to think that I was strong_

_Until the day it all went wrong_

_I think I need a miracle to make it through_

Scott pushed open the bedroom door to find Marie curled up on her bed, a tissue box at her side and a full trash can on the floor. With a slightly confused look on his face, he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked her. "Why are you up here crying?"

With a roll of her eyes and a quick glance at the ceiling, Marie managed to get out a quiet, "Why do you think?"

Understanding leaped into Scott's mind as quickly as if he had been struck by lightening.

"That bastard!" Scott growled. "I'll kill him!"

_I wish that I could bring you back_

_I wish that I could turn back time_

_Cuz I can't let go_

_I just can't find my way_

"You're too late, Scott, he's gone."

"What d'you mean by 'he's gone?'" Scott asked, puzzled.

"I mean exactly that. He took off on the bike a half-hour ago."

_Without you I just can't find my way_

Scott shook his head angrily. He had never liked Logan (respected him _maybe_­), but the fact that he was continually making Rogue hurt was really pissing him off. It wasn't acceptable that he could come into Scott's house (well, it was _practically_ Scott's house – he had lived in the mansion for most of his entire life), tear the place apart, and upon leaving for years at a time, leave destruction in his wake. It wasn't fair to Xavier, it wasn't fair to Scott, and it most _certainly_ wasn't fair to Rogue. It just wasn't. With a heavy sigh, Scott turned his gaze back on Rogue.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her quietly.

Marie stared off into space, trying to think of something to say.

_I don't know what I should do now_

_I don't know where I should go_

_I'm still here waiting for you_

_I'm lost when you're not around_

_I need to hold on to you_

_I just can't let you go_

Finally, after about five minutes of silence, Marie was able to construct a working sentence that made some semblance of sense in her hazy, tear-fogged brain.

"I could use a friend, Scott," she said, looking solemnly into his ruby quartz glasses.

Scott smiled and put a hand on Marie's shoulder.

"I can do that, Rogue. In fact, I'd be happy to do that for you."

Marie smiled briefly, then started crying again as if Logan had just left – when, in fact, an hour and a half had passed since the roar of his motorcycle (actually, _Scott's_ motorcycle) had been heard leaving the mansion's driveway.

_In a perfect world_

_This could never happen_

_In a perfect world_

_You'd still be here_

After a few moments, Scott pulled Marie to him, wrapping his arms around her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. He wished that there was something else he could do to help ease her pain, but it seemed that this was something she was going to have to figure out on her own.

_And it makes no sense_

_I can't just pick up the pieces_

_But to you this means nothing_

_You feel nothing_

_Nothing at all_

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_**A/N:** This is my first attempt at an X-Men fic, so I hope you've enjoyed it. Pretty please push the nice purple button and leave me a review - thanks!

Astronomylover


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